


Humble Beginnings

by insanityizgood



Series: Beneath The Mask Of Strength [1]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Earthborn, F/F, F/M, Gap Filler, Gen, Mass Effect 1, Mass Effect 2, Mass Effect 3, Renegade - Freeform, Romance, Romantic Friendship, Ruthless, Science Fiction, infiltrator
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-09-14
Updated: 2014-06-16
Packaged: 2017-11-14 05:06:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/511629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/insanityizgood/pseuds/insanityizgood
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Commander Shepard, savior of the galaxy. Cold, cruel, calculating, brave. Her tough childhood on Earth eventually led her to the Alliance military, where she quickly moved up the ranks. When a "routine shakedown" goes horribly wrong, her life is changed forever.</p><p>Underneath that cold exterior is a woman with her own fears, desires, strengths and weaknesses. Hers is the hero's struggle, the hero's mask. Don't tell them what you're feeling. Get the job done.</p><p>This is an attempt to look at what's behind the mask.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Humble Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> This is my very first Mass Effect fic. I've played all three games (as a paragon, then started playing my renegade - whom this fic is about), and after seeing some clips on youtube, I just started thinking about Commander Shepard and what she had gone through. This is based after my renegade fshep, Ryanne. It's a "gap filler", but I hope to really get into what Shepard's thoughts and feelings are along her journey. 
> 
> All Mass Effect characters mentioned herein are (c) Bioware/EA Games.  
> Any original characters mentioned herein are (c) Tiffany Kennedy.

When Ryanne was only ten years old, her parents were killed in a factory explosion.

She had gone home at her usual time, walking with her younger brother, Todd, back home from the bus stop. It was a beautiful fall day; a crisp breeze, slightly overcast, and dead leaves swirled down the street as if they were dancing. The air was filled with the pungent scent of autumn, and the sound of the leaves crunching underneath their feet, mingled with other children's laughter was sweet music to her ears. People had started putting out jack-o-lanterns on their porches, and the middle class street they lived on was starting to get drawn into the Halloween spirit. They couldn't wait until they were able to dress up in costumes (Todd wanted to be a Reaper, but Ryanne was dead-set on dressing up as a krogan, much to her parents' horror). This year held promise, and Ryanne was determined to visit every house she possibly could when she went trick-or-treating.

When the siblings arrived at their apartment, no one was home. A bit unusual, sure, but not completely out of the ordinary. Sometimes their parents had to work an overtime shift at the nearby Dynamis Corporation plant, but...not today. Did their boss get their schedules mixed up? Todd turned the news cast on, and after a couple of commercials on several human and alien products, a news report came on. Ryanne poured herself a glass of grape juice in the kitchen, listening idly to the news report.

"Today at 14:00 hours, a tragedy struck a local Dynamis Corporation plant. The plant exploded during a test for a mass effect prototype intended for use on an ambitious endeavor to open refueling and manufacturing stations near Veltman, a planet known for its abundance of hydrogen and helium. The blast caused damage two blocks from the plant, and as of this moment, there have been no confirmed survivors. Dynamis Corp. executives have yet to comment." The words were cold, precise, matter-of-fact. It didn't change the impact of them, though.

The glass in Ryanne's hand fell to the kitchen floor, shattering into a giant mess. Todd, bored with the news, had already changed the channel and was watching cartoons. The young girl clasped her hand to her mouth as the tears came pouring out of her eyes. She was just a child, yes, but she knew which factory her parents worked at. Her shoulders began to shake, and before she knew it, she was sobbing. She wanted to choke back the tears, to not raise Todd's suspicions, but the tears just kept coming, and the pain - it felt like someone had just taken the breath out of her lungs and tore her heart out.

Through her tears she could see the bright red liquid on the floor, and she couldn't help but wonder if her parents' blood had stained the ground of their workplace. They had both worked for the Dynamic Corporation for years. They had even met each other at a Christmas work party. Unlike most couples, who needed "me" time, Ryanne and Todd's parents were inseparable. Getting to go to work together every day, then coming home to spend time with the family was all they ever wanted. What cruel irony that they should meet their end at the very place where they first met.

"Ryanne? What's wrong?" Todd peeked his head into the kitchen curiously. It was very rare to see his older sister cry.

Ryanne wiped her eyes quickly, struggling to gain control of herself. "N-nothing, I just got something in my eye, is all."

"...Okay." Todd eyed her warily, but he took her words at face value. He was only a child, after all.

"Don't step in the kitchen, ok? There's broken glass everywhere." Ryanne knelt down, and began to pick up the shards from the floor, her hands shaking.

"Do you know when Mom and Dad are coming home? I'm starting to get kind of hungry." Ryanne paused in her clean-up, glancing up at her younger brother. He was only six years old, and already his amber eyes showed intelligence. He was an innocent child, not having ever known the pain that death brings. His black hair was slightly messy from the wind on their walk home, and his dark skin glowed with health. How much would that change, now that their parents were gone? She couldn't lie to him. Sure, he was a kid, but she couldn't hide the truth from him forever.

As quickly as the grief came, it left, and Ryanne felt nothing. She was completely numb. She knew that they were going to have a tough time now. Her grandparents had died years ago, and both of her parents were an only child. They had no family or neighbors they could turn to, and hell, with the way the adoption system worked on Earth, there wasn't just concerns with whether or not kids were going to be going to human parents. It wasn't just the fact that she and Todd would probably be separated, or even get parents that weren't of the same species as them; batarian slavers made a lot of money by using third parties to "adopt" human children. Ryanne had heard the cautionary tales in school. Being an orphan...that was one of the worst things that could possibly happen to a kid.

They were orphans now. _That means I have to take care of him,_ Ryanne thought in determination. Steeling herself, Ryanne sighed, abandoning the pile of glass shards on the floor, and leading her brother into their living room. She sat down on the couch and patted the cushion next to her. "Come here."

Todd did as he was told, still curious and confused as to what was going on. His sister was acting awfully strange. "...Were you paying attention to that news vid that just aired when you turned the tv on?" she asked him.

"No." His brows furrowed. Was he supposed to have?

"...Todd..." Ryanne swallowed. "Mom and Dad are dead."

Her brother blinked. This was impossible. There was no way! "How? They're at work, aren't they?" 

Shaking her head, his sister continued, "The factory they work in blew up today. No one survived."

Todd's face flickered through multiple emotions: confusion, anger, sadness, then finally disbelief. "You're lying! They're at work and they'll be home soon!" He hopped off the couch and made to stomp off, but Ryanne grabbed his wrist, forcing him to look back at her.

"Let go of me!" He tried to yank his arm out of her grip, but she was older, stronger. "You're hurting me! You're going to get in trouble when Mom and Dad get home, and when they do, I'm going to tell them how you lied-" Ryanne slapped her brother across the cheek, her eyes stern. Tears welled up in his eyes and he began to cry. She let him.

"I'm not lying. I need you to believe me. We have nowhere to go, Todd. No one to take care of us. It's just us two now." Ryanne's expression was serious.

"I still don't believe you! Liar! You liar! Mom's going to ground you when she knows you hit me!" Todd yelled at her through his tears.

Ryanne exhaled, guilt welling up in the pit of her stomach for hitting her brother. "I'm sorry for hitting you," she apologized. "I only just found out, and..."

With a cry of frustration, Ryanne grabbed the remote, changing the tv channel back to the news. She rewound it a ways until she found the story, and let it play. "Watch."

As the news reporter recited his script off of the teleprompter, Todd's eyes began to widen in horror, especially after seeing the picture of the factory. They had driven past their parents' workplace a few times, and there was no mistaking that landscape. It was definitely where their mother and father worked.

The tears that poured out of her brother's eyes weren't childish; these were the tears of a child who had lost his parents. Trying to calm him, Ryanne reached out, and her brother was all too willing to accept her hug. The siblings sat on the couch together, hugging each other tightly. Ryanne let him sob, stroking his hair and trying to reassure him. "Shh, it'll be alright. We'll be okay."

"Why didn't they tell us in school?" He asked tearfully.

Ryanne thought about it for a moment, looking over her brother's shoulder at the birds' eye view of the destroyed factory. The school was some distance away; the children never even heard the explosion or the sirens of emergency vehicles rushing to the scene. By the looks of that image, though...

"Maybe they didn't want kids to get scared or start crying. I don't really know why they didn't tell us." The words from her lips felt hollow. She was certain there would probably be an assembly tomorrow for all the kids if school wasn't canceled, and letters to be sent out to each family with empty words of consolation for the bereaved.

"What will we do? Where will we go? I...I don't want to be adopted! I don't want to go to the orphanage!" The fear in Todd's voice was very real - even the kids as young as he was knew what happened to orphans.

"We'll figure it out. Don't worry, I'll take care of us. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise." Ryanne meant every word of it. She would keep her brother safe, and she would do what she had to in order for them to survive, no matter the cost.

It felt like the beginning of the end. It wouldn't be until Ryanne had grown much older that she would realize this wasn't an end at all. This was her beginning. This was Commander Shepard's beginning.


	2. Of Starvation, Cold, And Thievery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After spending a couple of months on their own, Ryanne Shepard and her younger brother Todd battle against starvation and the cruel winter cold. Just when hope seems lost and things can't get any worse, good fortune in the form of a boy named Finch literally drops into their laps. A dirty mouthed, clever, humorous thief, Finch offers Ryanne and Todd a new life and a place with a new family: the Tenth Street Reds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I want to apologize for taking so long to update this. As I'm sure many of you experience, life has kind of gotten away with me, and it's becoming difficult to find time for creative endeavors. However, I am determined to finish this fic all the way to the bitter end, even if it takes awhile. 
> 
> I wanted to make Finch a foul-mouthed and flirtatious boy. There's not too much of an interaction with him in the game, but I felt with the kind of illustrious past a Earthborn Shepard has that it seemed appropriate if her oldest friend were a bit clever and really good with people. I know Ryanne seems like she doesn't like him so far, but he's going to grow on her, trust me.
> 
> As far as Todd is concerned, I wanted to keep him sensitive to contrast Ryanne's hard demeanor. I know it's not what a stereotypical male would act like, but it seems like as humanity progresses that things change a bit (ie Kaidan seems a lot more emotional and sensitive as opposed to Ashley, even though they're both trained in the military and have seen some serious shit). As the oldest of five kids in my own family, I know how difficult it is to keep cool and be a good older sibling to the younger ones, especially in difficult situations. I hope I'm managing to convey that in my writing - I want Ryanne to be as human as possible and struggle realistically with these situations. When all's said in done, she's going to do what's right for her younger brother, even if it means casting their lot in with a bunch of thieves.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy this next chapter, and thank you for reading!!! Kudos and comments are more than appreciated! :D

The streets were covered in snow, with patches of ice here and there on the pavement. The snow had a grey tint to it, and in some places it had turned into nasty mush, invading one's shoes and soaking old socks in its icy grip. Shivering on the front porch, Ryanne couldn't help but feel some disdain over how her home looked now. Her mother had always loved showing her old vids and images of quaint cottages decorated for Christmas, cozy and inviting, beautifully contrasting the snow. She knew now that all of that was in the past, and the truth hurt as she stood on her old doorstep. There were no lights, no Christmas tree in the window. That time was over now.

Ryanne had stayed in the townhouse apartment with her brother for as long as she dared. They left after two days (it had taken the excavation team time to recover and identify all the bodies from the accident), taking only what they essentially needed. Clothes, medi-gel, their father's old omni-tool, and all the food they could manage to carry. Ryanne didn't have a particular plan in mind but the thought of being forced into the system frightened her. Being separated from Todd - or worse, sold to Batarians - was her main concern. They would stand a better chance together, and now that their parents were gone, it was her duty to watch out for her younger brother. 

Her winter coat was still a bit too thin for the harsh air that bit at her dark skin. The small townhouse was just as abandoned as they had left it, and all of the memories of her own home threatened her the longer she stood staring at their door. All forms of entry were locked, and the "FOR SALE" sign out on the small patch of grass that was their lawn mocked her. This wasn't their home anymore, and soon, another family would move in and take their place, infecting the hallways and rooms with their voices and experiences, replacing her family's memories with their own. Letting out a harsh sigh, her breath puffing into the air, Ryanne turned her back to her childhood home, adjusting her ragged brown scarf to cover her face again. She had promised Todd a hot meal, and by god, she was going to get it for him. The question was how. 

Ryanne's footsteps crunched and sloshed through the snow as she neared the city's business district. It was as busy as ever; even more so now with the holidays approaching. Families walked by, hand in hand, smiling and laughing. Parents tugged at their children's hands, willing them away from the windows of toy shops. Many a man walked by, carrying their companion's pile of packages, just waiting to be brought home to wrap up as presents. Ryanne envied them all, but for all her jealousy, nothing would change the way things were. Instead, she tried to find comfort in the familiar Christmas carols and bright lights and decorations...even if they were a bit silly.

About halfway down the block, the tantalizing scent of Chinese food drifted through the air towards her. Ryanne paused a moment, closing her eyes and savoring the smell of fried rice and sesame chicken. Both were luxuries Todd and herself hadn't had in months. They were forced to be content with stealing from food vendors (and they had had a number of close calls with the law already) and digging through waste bins when they could (which was a danger in and of itself - some of the dumpsters had doors on them that could easily decapitate a person). It was no way to live, especially for a pair of children, but when times were tough, you had to do what you must to survive, even if it grew tiresome after awhile. 

She moved slowly through the crowd, thankful that everyone else seemed to be too preoccupied with their own lives to care about an orphan wearing ragged clothes. Ryanne lingered near the entrance to the Chinese restaurant - aptly named "Feast of the Orient" - and peered inside. The place was packed, and it seemed as if every table was filled with dishes overflowing with food. The decorations inside tried to be elegant but seemed to be more tacky than anything (cheap "bamboo" wall scrolls and plastic statues will do that), but it was bright, warm, and full of tantalizing dishes. Her mouth began to water and she gazed at the clientele in envy. She couldn't just walk right in there and beg for food, true, but if she were lucky...

Almost as if fate heard her wish, a man seated at a table with his family signaled to his waiter and began to point at his food, his brows furrowing and his expression displeased. The waiter seemed to apologize and took the plate away, heading towards the back. Perfect. Ryanne quickly skirted the building's exterior, moving down the alley between the restaurant and a neighboring business. The sounds of the street faded and began to be replaced with the noisy clanking sounds of the kitchen. Music blared on the radio and the shouts and conversations in several different Chinese dialects reached her ears. The back of the restaurant was what you would expect: covered in snow, trash bags tied shut gathered near the overflowing dumpster, unsalted steps leading up to the open door, and a couple of stray cats lingering nearby in the hopes of being lucky enough to get some scraps. Ryanne's nose wrinkled as she neared the pile of garbage - as hungry as she was, it wasn't enough to warrant eating rotten food just yet. A fat tabby with matted fur regarded her harshly from his perch along the railing, clearly not liking this unwelcome competition for food. "I'm hungry too, you know," she muttered, ignoring the cat's hiss and flicking tail. She crouched down and moved up the steps to the doorway, careful not to slip on the ice, and took a peek inside.

The kitchen was as busy as it sounded, and at first she was a little disorienting with all of the white uniforms bustling to and fro and the chaotic sounds of food cooking, but the smell of fresh food soon gave her focus. She managed to spot the waiter from before, bringing the plate to a chef who was in the middle of dicing some vegetables. They exchanged a few words, both men looking fairly irritated and frazzled. The chef threw his hands up, his voice rising, and it seemed as if it were going to quickly turn into an unnecessary confrontation. All the while, the plate full of steaming food sat on the counter inconspicuously. Ryanne's eyes locked on it. If she only knew a way to distract them without drawing attention to herself, she could slip in and out of there with the full plate and then some without being noticed. But how...?

Another irritated growl from the cat beside her suddenly gave Ryanne an idea. _It's a long shot, but...it just might work._ Flexing her hands and bracing herself for the animal's small, sharp claws, the girl picked up the tabby from the railing and tossed him inside. He meowed angrily, and as soon as his paws hit the tiled floor, the kitchen turned into pure madness . Cursing and yelling erupted as the workers turned their full attention to the unwanted animal running around inside. Everyone had stopped what they were doing to try to keep the cat off of the food and from running into the restaurant proper. God knew what would happen to their place of business if a mangy stray cat was found running from the back. With everyone's focus diverted, it was the perfect chance for the starving girl to sneak in.

Ryanne moved quickly, keeping her head low and ducking from steel counter to counter until she reached the plate from before - an unsatisfactory order that was soon to become their dinner. She grabbed the plate and began to shove as much food into her mouth as possible, her eyes darting back and forth, trying to keep tabs on the commotion around her. As she turned to the right, she noticed that closer to the door to the dining area was a small group of paper bags stapled shut, the condensation from the food inside leaving wet streaks on the sides. Now _that_ was perfect...a true feast.

"Someone get that cat!!" An adult yelled in frustration in English. It was only a matter of time before they managed to grab the feline. If Ryanne was going to act, she needed to do it now. She moved as stealthily and quickly as she possibly could, keeping her eye on the bag sitting on the counter. Closer and closer...just a few more steps...

Her hand grabbed onto the bag at the same time as a disheveled cook managed to grab the stray cat by the scruff of its neck. She turned around and began to head towards the door, praying that no one would see her. Unfortunately, getting out was a lot more difficult than getting in. "Hey!! You!! Drop that right now!" A chorus of enraged voices erupted behind her. Throwing caution to the wind, Ryanne bolted for the door, avoiding the steps altogether by jumping from the porch. Her feet and knees hurt slightly as she landed, and it was difficult to get purchase on the slick ground. The starving orphan didn't even bother to look behind her; her adrenaline and blood began to pump furiously, giving her the extra push she needed to dart out from the alley and use the crowd to disappear as quickly as possible. Whether they pursued her out into the street, she didn't know, but only after some time had passed did she feel it was safe enough to lean against a wall to catch her breath and see if any of them had followed her. From what she could tell, none had.

It was a small victory, to be sure, but it lifted Ryanne's spirits as she headed towards the industrial district where she and Todd had been staying. Ever since the plant explosion, the area was a bit worse for the wear. People began to move their businesses elsewhere, abandoning warehouses and buildings to the elements. A few business owners were far more stubborn, and some even were vying to buy the abandoned property of their competitors to gain a greater hold in the area. Unfortunately, it wasn't just business owners that wanted to expand their territory; several gangs and drug dealers had the same aspirations. As such, the industrial district itself was a run-down, filthy, dangerous area where you better have connections or at least keep your head down if you didn't want to be shot or turned into a pile of mush by some biotics. Needless to say, Ryanne wouldn't let them stay in one abandoned building for too long. It would be unwise to piss off the wrong group, and Ryanne wasn't willing to leave anything to chance, regardless of how comfortable they became. 

The Christmas music and joyful sounds of the populace grew faint the farther she headed into the district. Crowds of people were replaced by looming dark shadows of buildings with hiding places abound for orphans, gang members, and mercenaries. Even the street lights seemed a bit more dim here, and the cold wind bit into the bone far more fiercely than in the other districts. Ryanne passed several burning barrels with a few homeless huddled around it, eager to receive any kind of warmth. She trotted a bit more quickly through these parts, unwilling to tempt the other poor and hungry souls left to fend for themselves. She was, for all intents and purposes, still very much a child - although her parents' death forced her to mature a lot faster than she would have liked - and she stood little chance of fending off a grown adult who happened to find the medley of scents in the bag she clung to herself tempting. She turned a corner into a darkened alley, and that's when she saw it. A small abandoned omni-tool repair shop, several of its windows broken and the doors boarded shut, covered in graffiti and peeling paint. It was an ugly place, but it was the closest thing to home that the pair had for now. Being careful not to cut herself on the jagged glass edges of the display window, Ryanne slipped through, shards of broken glass and snow crunching beneath her feet. She headed past the empty shelves carefully, her eyes adjusting to the darkness, and stopped in front of the door to the back office. She knocked on the door, her voice seemingly too loud in the quiet. "Todd! Open up, it's me! I have some food!" 

The door unlocked and her younger brother yanked it open, his amber eyes bright with excitement and his body thin and worn down by hunger. She could practically see the ecstatic joy on his face as he took the hot bag from her arms, setting it down on the floor carefully. Ryanne closed and locked the door behind her, allowing herself to relax for the moment. There wasn't much in this back office; a desk that they had torn apart to use as a temporary bed, curtains that had been pulled from the broken windows to act as blankets, old scraps of paper shoved into corners and miscellaneous screws and other tools strewn here and there. Their most prized possession, by far though, was the old portable heater Ryanne had stolen from some family's trash. Todd, despite his sensitive demeanor, had shown a natural aptitude for engineering and his father's omni-tool, and managed to have the heater up and running within a few hours. It wasn't ideal, but it kept them warm and alive, and it was a hell of a lot better than having nothing. It sat in a corner and kept the small room warm as opposed to the chill outside, although the broken office window didn't help much.

Ryanne plopped down in front of the heater, lifting her shoes towards it in an attempt to dry off her wet socks. She could hear Todd behind her opening the bag and sighing in contentment at the Chinese food within. "This is amazing, Ryanne!" He finally said. "Rice, chicken, noodles...there's even some hot soup in here! How did you manage to get all of this?"

"I stole it," she told him matter-of-factly. She glanced back at him and saw the mixed expression on her brother's face. "I know you don't like to steal, Todd, but we have no credits. We have nothing. If you don't want to starve to death, we're going to have to keep stealing food." 

"I know, I know," her brother muttered in defeat. "I just feel bad, is all. This was supposed to be someone else's dinner." 

"And now it's ours. Eat." Ryanne turned back to the heater and relished in the painful burning sensation that meant the nerves in her feet were beginning to wake up. "You need your strength." 

He said nothing, but she heard the lid from the soup pop open and the sounds of him drinking the broth slowly. She let herself smile a little, and after she was sure he was too busy eating to respond, continued, "You know how people are always freaked out that they're eating cats or dogs at Chinese restaurants?"

A grunt of affirmation from Todd. "Well, there was this stray cat at the back door of the restaurant, so I grabbed him and threw him inside." Ryanne chuckled to herself. "It was really difficult having to sneak around the kitchen with all the commotion it caused, but it was pretty funny."

"Did any of the customers see the cat?" He asked in between mouthfuls of food. 

"No, I don't think so. It's not like they're going to shut the place down. But I won't be able to go back there again; they saw me leaving and I'm sure they won't keep the back door open like that again." Ryanne turned to face her brother, grabbed a small paper carton full of fried rice, and began to eat it slowly with her fingers. "They'll probably be keeping an eye out for me too." 

Todd sighed, shaking his head. "I don't know, Ryanne. I think we might be pushing our luck." 

"What do you mean?" 

He put down the food in front of him, his amber eyes growing serious. "It's only a matter of time before we get caught stealing."

Ryanne laughed scornfully. "Please. With all the crap that goes on here, I think the cops are a bit more worried about gangs and drug dealers than they are a couple of orphan kids."

"You say that, Ryanne, but..." His voice trailed off. "What if we aren't quiet enough or fast enough? What if we don't get away in time? If they catch us, do you know what they'll do?" 

The older girl's brow furrowed, her jaw clenching and her eyes hardening to a steelish glint. Oh, she knew alright. Because they didn't show any biotic abilities, they weren't going to be sent to the training camps on Luna like some of the other kids, but they would spend a bit of time in juvenile detention on a nearby asteroid. One which conveniently "lost" its cargo along the way more often than not to slavers. She was very, very well aware of what would happen. "We won't get caught," she told him, her voice firm. "If we do, we won't be bred for the military, Todd, and it's not like an orphanage will take us in either. We'll be sold, like pieces of property."

"But what if we aren't? Don't you think it's strange that no one's tried looking for us? They have to know that mom and dad had kids!" Todd's voice began to rise slightly the way a child's does. He was clearly becoming upset.

"Don't you get it?" She leaned in closer, emphasizing each word. "They don't care about us. We don't matter to them." It killed her to do this, but it was necessary. He had to understand by now that things weren't going to ever be the same again. The old life that they had was lost.

"What if we _were_ able to get adopted, Ryanne? What if we could have a family again?"

"If anything, we'd be separated, Todd! It doesn't work like that, you _know _this!" The words were coming out far more harshly than she wanted them to, but she couldn't stop.__

__"I want to go home!" He cried out, his unwashed black hair blending into the wall behind him. She could hear the quivering timbre in his voice and knew he was about to cry._ _

__"We _can't_! There _is no home_ , Todd! Not anymore! Mom and Dad are dead, okay? Dead! And there's nothing we can do about it!" She snapped, her amber eyes flaring. This was not how she wanted her evening to play out. The thrill of victory she felt after stealing the food was quickly dissipating, turning into anger and frustration. _ _

__"I hate you," he whispered before dissolving into tears. Her brother cried fairly often ever since their parents died, and it only seemed to get worse. He wasn't handling their new lifestyle very well, and it hurt to see her brother, in every sense of the word, break. It was happening slowly but steadily. She could barely believe that a few months ago he was fit, healthy, and plump with life. Now, he was skinny, his ribs and cheekbones were beginning to show, and his amber eyes - so much like hers - were growing hollow. They hadn't bathed in weeks, and it seemed as if he grew more and more depressed as time went on._ _

__Ryanne closed her eyes tightly, willing herself to calm down. _This is so hard_ , she couldn't help but think, grinding her teeth. She wanted to cry, to mourn the loss of her parents and the life they knew just as much as he did. But she couldn't. She couldn't allow herself to do that, for his sake. If Todd saw how weak she really was inside, then he might lose all the will he had to live altogether. _ _

__She took a deep, shuddering breath, opening her eyes and crossing the room to him to give him a tight hug. She held him to her despite his initial protests, until he let her pat his head and cried into her shoulder. "I know it's hard, Todd, I know," she whispered. "Trust me, I'm trying the best I can, okay? I just...if we get separated, who will take care of you? How will I know you're safe? We're still a family, you know? And a family watches out for each other."_ _

__There was nothing but silence and a child's sobs. Finally, Ryanne caved in and opened her mouth to apologize. As she did so, she glanced up and stiffened._ _

__How she didn't hear the other boy enter through the broken window into the office, Ryanne had no idea. He looked to be a year older than her, maybe two, judging by his youthful appearance. His dark hair was cropped short - a hairstyle that seemed awfully silly for this time of year - and his dark eyes confessed that he had seen better days. Their gazes locked for what seemed like an eternity, although it couldn't have been more than a couple of seconds. Before Ryanne had a chance to react, however, he grabbed the handle of the heater and darted towards the broken window._ _

__"Hey!" Ryanne yelled, shoving Todd off of her and reaching for one of the boy's feet. He kicked at her and missed, which gave her an extra second to get a grip on his left foot. His upper body was out the window, the heater held under his right arm, and Ryanne held on as tightly as she could, pulling back. This time, the boy's right foot connected with her face, and the burst of pain that erupted through her nose, mouth, and head seemed to paralyze her arms. "Todd," she cried out weakly, feeling the boy's shoe slip from her grip._ _

__Her brother reacted surprisingly quickly, grabbing the boy's other leg and pulling down as hard as he could. There was the sound of fabric tearing, and the other boy came tumbling down right on top of the siblings. There were several cries of "Ow!" and "What the hell?!" from all three of the children, and Ryanne desperately tried to blink back the stars in her vision. It took a moment, but Ryanne finally managed to focus enough to grab the thief by the collar of his coat and shove him down on the floor. She crawled on top of him, using her weight to keep him pinned down. Her face was distorted into a snarl, her eyes alight with anger. "Todd, get the heater," she ordered, and her brother did as he was told, wrestling their greatest lifeline from the boy's grasp._ _

__"Don't you _ever_ try and steal from me or my brother again," she hissed, drawing her face close to his. She barely registered the blood dripping from her nose to his darkened skin. "Do you understand me?" _ _

__The boy seemed shocked, but he took Ryanne by surprise by grinning broadly. "Abso-fucking-lutely! Name's Finch, what's yours?"_ _

__Ryanne hesitated, her anger beginning to fade amidst her confusion. What was this kid trying to pull? "...What?"_ _

__"Are you deaf? I said, what's your name?" Finch relaxed underneath her, not moving an inch. "Don't worry, I'm not going to fight you anymore. You caught me, fair and square."_ _

__The red-haired girl loosened her grip slightly. "How can you expect me to even trust you? You just tried to steal from us!"_ _

__"As a fellow thief, I can tell you that once you're caught, there's no point in trying to hit the same place twice." Again with the grin. Ryanne didn't know whether to punch the smirk right off of his face or let him go._ _

__"Wait, you're a thief too?" Todd asked from beside her._ _

__"You bet your ass I am! I've been watching you guys for awhile now, you know. You've been doing pretty well."_ _

__"You've been _watching_ us?" Ryanne asked incredulously. God, this was becoming more messed up and confusing by the minute._ _

__"Well, we like to keep an eye on potential recruits to get a feel for their talents. It's a lot easier to evaluate a person when they don't know they're being watched." Finch cleared his throat. "Mind getting off of me now? I want to talk business."_ _

__The older girl frowned, not liking this one bit. She glanced over at Todd, and he seemed to be holding onto Finch's every word, a glimmer of hope in his eyes._ _

__Hope. Something she thought she'd never see her brother experience ever again._ _

__Sighing, she let go of him and got to her feet, extending her hand to the thief. He took it gladly, brushing his pants off as he stood up. "So, like I said, my name's Finch, and I'm a thief by trade. And you guys are...?"_ _

__"My name's Todd," the younger boy answered, eager to talk to another child besides his sister._ _

__"Nice to meet you, Todd." Finch shook Todd's hand firmly. "Quite a grip you got there, and some hidden strength, too." Todd seemed to glow with the praise. "And...?" His eyes darted to Ryanne._ _

__She didn't want to talk to this kid at all, to be honest. If anything, she wanted to kick his ass right there and then and hope that he would leave her brother and herself alone, but the way he was talking made it sound like he had something up his sleeve. Might as well play along for now. "I'm Ryanne, Todd's older sister."_ _

__"I gathered as much." The other boy held out his hand and Ryanne took it, gripping it as tightly as possible, her eyes narrowing and attempting to convey a silent message: _Try anything fishy and I will kick the crap out of you.__ _

__Finch's jaw clenched slightly under her grip, and he wringed his hand awkwardly after she released it. "You've got some strength as well, too, I see. I gotta admit, you guys are pretty impressive...especially you, Ryanne. That little trick you pulled at Feast of the Orient - absolutely beautiful! Never seen anything like it, and couldn't have pulled it off better myself!"_ _

__Ryanne glowered at him. "You saw that?" Great, just great. Not only did he just try to steal from them, but he'd been stalking them for awhile, too._ _

__"You aren't going to tell the cops, are you?" Todd immediately asked, panic in his voice._ _

__"No way, are you kidding me?" Finch looked at her younger brother like he was crazy. "Do you know how many cops are on the lookout for me? They'd arrest me in a heartbeat! No, no. Like I said, the...organization I'm a part of scouts out potential recruits, and we just sort of...watch for awhile. And if the recruits show an adequate amount of potential, we put them to the test." He grinned again. "Congratulations! You passed!"_ _

__"We did?" Todd echoed, confused. Ryanne shot him a look. With all his sensitivity, Todd could be extremely gullible and manipulated very easily. She wished there was a way she could tell him to shut up and let her do the talking without giving anything away._ _

__"Of course! Quick robberies, getting in and out of buildings quickly, and _especially_ climbing through windows is my specialty. Not every kid could stop me from stealing something from them," Finch said proudly, puffing up his chest slightly. Ryanne snorted. "What?" Finch acted affronted. "You'd be surprised! It isn't just food I steal, either, you know."_ _

__On closer inspection of his attire, Ryanne could see that he was telling the truth about that, at least. The boots he wore were a little worn, but the coat, shirt, and pants he wore looked clean and new. He clearly had some kind of talent - Ryanne had never seen another child on the street wear clothes that nice before. Even with the tear in his shirt, it still looked better than what they were wearing. This wasn't the first time they had come across another child living on the streets, either. As much as she knew Todd wanted to make friends, Ryanne insisted on them keeping to themselves. She knew he felt bitter about it, that he wanted some semblance of normality in his life, but Ryanne knew the risks were far greater than the rewards. In her opinion, you couldn't trust anyone, because they were too busy looking out for themselves, just like they were._ _

__"Anyway," Finch continued. "Now that you've passed the test, I am here to formally invite you to become part of our little gang: the Tenth Street Reds!" He said this with a flourish, as if the name were supposed to mean something. It didn't._ _

__"Who?" Todd asked, just as oblivious as she was._ _

__"You've never heard of us?" The thief acted like it was the most terrible blasphemy he had ever heard in his life._ _

__"No, we haven't," Ryanne finally spoke. A group of orphaned children working together to survive was one thing, but a gang? That was something different altogether._ _

__Finch slapped his forehead. "I can't believe it. We're one of the fastest growing, up-and-coming gangs in this whole district! Are you sure you haven't heard of us?"_ _

__" _No,_ we _haven't_ ," Ryanne repeated, moving forward to come between him and her brother. "And we don't have any interest in becoming involved with a gang, either. Gangs are only trouble."_ _

__"Only if you get caught!" Finch retorted in a sing-song voice. "We're not like other gangs. We don't carry guns, we most _definitely_ don't deal drugs, and we only steal what we need. With all of those rich bastards in the residential district, it's not like they're going to miss a few pieces of jewelry, clothing, or medi-gel packs here and there, right?"_ _

__Ryanne said nothing. She didn't like this at all, and it was written all over her face._ _

__Finch's grin quickly dissipated and he became serious, all amusement out of his voice. "Look. I know we got off on the wrong foot. I'm sorry we've been watching you and I'm sorry for kicking you in the face. But I know that if you don't get some kind of help from _someone_ , you're going to end up either freezing or starving to death. That heater can't last forever, and the less food you guys eat, the slower you're going to get, and the easier it's going to be for people to catch you. I know how tough it is to live on the streets, trust me. I've been doing it almost my whole life._ _

__"But...look. It's not every day we see two siblings working together, trying to make it. And...I dunno. The Reds, we're like a family. We help each other out and stick together. There's always room for more, and we could definitely use a couple of tough kids like you. Especially a girl." Finch winked at Ryanne, the grin reappearing on his face._ _

__"We can make it on our own just fine," Ryanne said, her voice firm._ _

__"Ryanne!" Todd whispered from behind her, agitated. "Come on!"_ _

__"No, Todd. It's too great a risk. Even if it's difficult with it being just the two of us, we're less likely to be caught if we keep to ourselves." Ryanne shot her brother a glare._ _

__"You sure about that?" Finch asked. "Because I've seen some Salarian and Batarian mercenaries scoping this place out for the past couple of nights. They haven't peeked into this back room yet, but from what I've been hearing through the grapevine, it sounds like they're thinking about establishing a new base here."_ _

__Ryanne's face paled at that. Salarians weren't too terrifying, seeing as that they were logical businessmen, usually, but batarians? They haunted her nightmares at times, and it was common knowledge that the outlaws from that species had little to no self-control when it came to torture, brutality, and..._ _

__She shuddered. Before her grandmother died, her mother had told her about why she sometimes looked out the window for hours at a time, saying nothing. She had worked as a technician on a ship orbiting Mars, and they had been hijacked one day by Batarian slavers. A few of the crew were killed, others put to forced labor, but the women..._ _

__Finch's expression turned to one of pity, and his voice softened. "You know what they'd do. I can tell. And I would hate to see such potential go to waste. So, please. I'm begging you. From one human to another, please come with me." His eyes were pleading, and despite all of his previous kidding around, Ryanne could tell he meant every word. "I swear to you, we will help take care of you. We have food, warmth, and a way more comfortable place than this shithole."_ _

__Ryanne turned to look at Todd, the hope once more brightening his eyes._ _

__"If not for yourself, then for him," Finch whispered, glancing at the younger boy behind her._ _

__Hope...damn it all, but Ryanne had little to no choice. As great as the risks were being part of a gang, the chances of being jumped by mercenaries was far worse. She sighed, the bangs of her red hair blowing off of her face. "Fine. You've got a deal."_ _

__"Excellent!" Finch grinned once more. "Get your stuff together and bring whatever you can carry. We're going home."_ _


End file.
